Metal swaging machine



March 20, 1934. C' T BRENNAN METAL SWAGING MACHINE Filed Feb. 17. 1933 Patented Mar. 20, 1934 uiten STATES PATENT OFFICE Application February 17, 1933, Serial No. 657,198

6 Claims.

This invention relates to the class of machines commonly known as headers, that is, machines that have xed dies and reciprocatory gates carrying punches for forming nut blanks, bolt heads, balls and the like from pieces of cold metal stock that are fed between the dies and punches, and the invention is applicable to single stroke or double stroke, solid die or open die headers.

Machines of this class in general use have rectangular reciprocatcry gates that are connected by pitmans with operating cranks, cams or eccentrics, or that are reciprocated by the direct engagement with their rear ends of cams or eccentrics.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the employment of a pitman and the necessary connections with their joints and incident wear and lost motion, and provide a gate and reciprocating mechanism which will be rigid, durable, compact and powerful, and which can be eiiiciently lubricated and easily adjusted so that the path of the gate may be varied in order that the punches properly cooperate with the dies for accomplishing the required actions on the stock that is to be conformed.

In attaining this object the gate is formed with cylindrical sections at the iront and back and vthese sections are supported by and tted to have free axial reciprocation in aligned cylindrical bearings located some distance apart in the machine frame. The cylindrical sections of the gate ,are integrally connected by a rectangular box that has a vertical mortise. Adjustably secured in this mortise so that it can be raised or lowered transversely or the axis of the gate, is a wedge block provided with a diagonal slot. Fitted so that it may move up and down in the slot in the wedge block is a block that has an opening which fits the crank pin or eccentric on the crank shaft. By adjusting the wedge block up or down the gate may be moved forward or backward relatively to the center of the crank shaft, so that the reciprocatory path of the punches carried by the gate may be brought closer to or furtherv away from the dies with which the punches cooperate, in order to obtain the best results on the particular pieces operated upon.

In the accompanying drawing only so much of a header mechanism as is necessary to understand the relevance of the present invention is illustrated.

Fig. 1 of the drawing shows a side elevation of a gate, its reciprocating and adjusting elements and the punches and dies, with the adjacent portions of the frame in vertical section, arranged for a double-stroke solid die header.

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the gate and horizontal section oi the frame.

Fig. 3 shows a transverse section on substan- 60V tially the plane indicated by the dotted line 3-3 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 shows a sectional-elevation of the gate.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the gate on reduced scale.

The gate has a rear cylindrical section 1 fitted to reciprocate in a cylindrical bearing box 2, and a front cylindrical section 3 fitted to reciprocate in a cylindrical bearing box 4, the boxes being made of any suitable material and mounted in the main frame 5 of the machine so that they may DE renewed when necessary. The punch block 6, with the punches '7, is tted in a vertical mortise 3 in the forward end oi the gate in the usual manner so that the punches will coact with the die 9 for shaping the pieces of metal fed between the punches and die, as is well understood.

Between the cylindrical sections of the gate and integral therewith is a rectangular box 10 with a vertical mortise 11. In this mortise is fitted a wedge block 12 that has a diagonal slot 13. rI'he upper .edges of the wedge block have flanges 14 that fit recesses 15 in the top edge of the gate box. Screws 16 are threaded through these flanges into the gate box for raising and lowering the wedge block, and threaded studs 17 provided with nuts 18 extend through the flanges for locking the wedge block in the position to which it is adjusted.

Movably fitted in the diagonal slot in the wedge block is a crank block 19 which has an opening that receives the crank pin or eccentric 20 on the crank shaft 21. OnV the outer end of the crank shaft is the usual iiy wheel 22 the rotation of which through the crank shaft, eccentric and crank block reciprocates the gate. The crank block is retained from sidewise movement oii from the eccentric by the engagement with it of the ends of 'the bearings 23 for the crank shaft. The wedge block is prevented from sidewise movement by the side walls of the gate box, and the gate box is prevented from sidewise movement as it reciprocates by plates 24 that are set in the upper part of the frame, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The lower part of the frame is closed and has an oil well 25 through which the usual cam shaft 26 extends. This well is usually filled with oil t'o such an extent that it will lubricate and ensure the free movement of the cylindrical sections of the gate and also lubricate the eccentric block and the eccentric. Over the open ing in the frame in which the gate box is located, is a cover 27 which prevents the flying oi lubricant when the machine is in operation. Should the machine stop with the eccentric on dead center the cover is removed and the adjusting screws loosened, and then a blow may be applied to the anvil 28, which is fastened to the top` of the wedge block, so as to shift the relation of the elements.

With the construction described the wedge block is adjusted up and down with relation to the center of the crank shaft so that the punches Will be carried orward toward or backward from the die in order that the punches and die cooperate in the required manner on the metal pieces fed between them. With the slot in the wedge block in which the crank block moves up and down diagonal with relation to the axis of the gate, as the crank shaft rotates and carries the block and gate forward and downward the inclined wall against which the crank block slides tends to increase the forward speed of the gate movement, as would not be the case if the slot in the wedge block was vertical. The bearings for the gate being widely separated and the power being applied at the middle o the gate a rigid compact structure is provided. The wedge block with its angular slot serves three purposes, it provides a bearing for the crank block, it permits the ready adjustment of the gate and punches, and it cooperates with the crank for determining the forward speed of the gate.

The embodiment oi the invention for convenience has been illustrated and described as applied to a machine having a fixed die and reciprocatory punch, but it is to be understood that the punch and die may be reversed, that is, the punch may be fixed and the die mounted on the gate, as is commonly done, without in any way altering the novel features of the invention.

The invention claimed is:--

1. A metal swagirrT machine having tool actuN ating means which comp .les a reciprccat y gate, said gate having cylindrical bearing sections in axial alignment integrally connected by a box, a slotted wedge block carried by said box and adjustable transversely of the axis of the gate, a perforated crank block movable in the slot in the Wedge block, and a crank shaft extending through and having an eccentric part fitting the opening in the crank block.

A metal swaging machine having tool actuv.ting means which comprises a reciprocatory gate, said gate having cylindrical bearing sections in axial alignment integrally connected by a boX, a We rge block with a diagonal slot carried by said box and adjustable transversely of the axis of the gate, a perforated crank block movable in the slot in the Wedge block, and a crank shaft extending through and having` an eccentric part fitting the opening in the crank block.

A metal swaging machine having tool actuating means vvhich comprises a reciprocatory gate, said gate having cylindrical bearing sections in axial alignment integrally connected by a box with a vertical opening, a slotted wedge block movable in said box and adjustable transversely oi the axis of the gate, a perforated crank block movable in the slot in the wedge block, and a crank extending through and having an eccentric part fitting the opening in the crank block.

A metal swaging machine having tool actuating means which comprises a reciprocatory L gate, said gate having cylindrical bearing sections in axial alignment integrally connected by a ioox with a vertical opening, a wedge block with d.' vonal slot movable in said box and adjust- -ansversely or the axis of the gate, a pernk block movable in the slot in the block, and a crank shaft extending through having an eccentric part iitting the opening in the crank block.

Clt

5. A reciprecatory gate for machines of the character described comprising cylindrical bearing sections in axial alignment integrally ocnnected by a box containing a vertically adjustable wedge block with a diagonal opening, and a perrated crank block movable in the slot in the wedge block with an eccentric iitting the openin the crank block.

6. n a metal svvaging machine of the class described, a reciprocatory tool carrying gate com prised oi' a box, aligned bearing sections integral with said box, a wedge block with an oblique slot, movable in said box transversely of the path ci movement of the gate, screw means for adjusting said wedge block relatively to the box,

a crank block movable in the obliquo slot in the 

